The vases and pots of Lucie Rie and Hans Coper occupy a central position in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen’s rich collection of studio ceramics. Between 1960 and 2000 the quality of the work of these two ‘English’ potters provided a benchmark for the acquisition of objects by studio potters from the Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany and Scandinavia. In turn Lucie Rie and Hans Coper were indebted to the attention paid to them by Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. The enthusiasm of the museum’s former curators Bernardine de Neeve and, above all, Dorris Kuyken-Schneider was crucial for the advancement of their illustrious careers.

This Boijmans Study includes a catalogue of all the works by Rie and Coper in the museum’s collection. The introductory essay charts the history of this unique collection and highlights the significant influence that the works of Rie and Coper exerted on the museum’s acquisitions policy for applied arts.